Major fire breaks out in Mumbai's 14-storey Times Tower

A major fire broke out in the Times Tower building in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills compound, Lower Parel, on Friday morning, triggering memories of a similar tragedy seven years ago that claimed 14 lives. The blaze started at around 6:30 am and, despite hours of effort, firefighting teams struggled to control the flames.

While no injuries have been reported, the fire has caused extensive damage to the commercial structure, initially believed to be seven floors high, but later confirmed to be a 14-storey building. The fire was concentrated in the electric duct between the third and seventh floors on the rear side of the tower.

Firefighters faced a tough challenge in gaining access to the affected areas. They used chisels and hammers to break through locked doors while eight fire engines and additional vehicles were dispatched to the scene to combat the blaze.

The Kamala Mills compound, infamous for its history of fire-related incidents, is located next to the Parkside residential building. Nearby residents were gripped with fear as thick smoke and flames rose dangerously close to their homes.

Parkside's security team took swift action to use their firefighting equipment before fire brigades arrived on the scene, limiting the spread of the fire. Efforts to completely extinguish the fire continued into the afternoon.